LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear reader,
When I was young, my mom never told me
which way she voted.
But she would always take me to the polls
with her to watch her vote in both local and
national elections. Before I could even read
the names of candidates listed on the screen,
she would let me stand on my tippy toes to
press the buttons selecting who she wanted
to vote for (this is probably super illegal –
sorry for outing you, Deb). Then she’d let me
have her “I Voted” sticker that I would proudly wear at Briarwood Elementary the rest of
the day.
My social studies teacher mother fostered
in me a love for the democratic process, not
necessarily a specific party or ideology. For
that, I’m so thankful.
It wasn’t until the 2008 presidential election that I began to follow a certain candidate. 13-year-old Lauren became especially
intrigued by a young, optimistic black senator
from Illinois. As I curled up on my couch to
watch presidential debates for the first time,
I was drawn to this man’s ability to sincerely
connect with all types of people and by his

over-arching message of inclusivity and hope.
I was finally able to understand and follow a campaign from start to finish. I remember being teary-eyed in my living room as I
watched the first African American presidentelect take the stage in Chicago to give his victory speech.
Barack Obama was my president.
As a general rule, reporters are not supposed to disclose political leanings. That’s
not what this is. But as the president that has
held office for the majority of most University
of Nebraska-Lincoln students’ lives passes the
baton, I felt it necessary to reflect on the way
his leadership has affected young people.
Whether you agreed with him entirely or
not at all these past eight years, I believe the
following are lasting (non-policy-related) impacts President Obama had on my peers:
His presidency ushered in an era of political activism among millennials, both liberal
and conservative. He is the reason my interest
in politics was piqued and probably the root
of why I declared a political science major
when I came to UNL three years ago. I know
this is the reason many of my peers also de-

veloped political awareness.
He was the first president of the social
media era, meaning the electorate could now
communicate as the leader of the free world
in 140 characters or less. It meant GIFs of
speech sound bites, memes of him and Vice
President Joe Biden and a video of Michelle
Obama doing carpool karaoke with James
Corden. These things made the president and
his family accessible and “cool.”
When I saw him speak in Kansas City in my
senior year of high school, I heard a president
who, despite pressure and criticism, spoke
with grace and humility. Who invited input
from all backgrounds and perspectives. Who
elicited respect for the highest office.
I will give the president that follows him
as much respect. And the president after. And
the president after that. And I will teach my
future children to do the same – telling them
stories of the man who served as the first example of my country’s leader. Of the man who
got me to care.
In his farewell address, President Obama
charged Americans to come together in a divisive political climate:

“Democracy does not require uniformity,”
he said. “Our founders argued, they quarrelled and eventually they compromised.
They expected us to do the same. But they
knew that democracy does require a basic
sense of solidarity. The idea that, for all our
outward differences, we’re all in this together,
that we rise and fall as one.”
He started and ended with hope. With
a message of finding common ground with
those unlike us. Let’s live and lead like that,
too.
Best,

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln had its
largest-ever incoming freshman class in
2016, with 4,860 students.
Of those, 865 won’t be back to begin
their sophomore year next fall, assuming the
freshman retention rate is consistent from a
year ago.
The one-year retention rate for the 2015
freshman class, or the proportion of firstyear students who return the following fall
semester, was 82.2 percent, according to
the Office of Institutional Research, Analytics
and Decision Support.
“It’s an indicator of whether students are
being successful in their first year,” said Associate Vice Chancellor Amy Goodburn, who
leads graduation and retention initiatives.
UNL’s rate is by far the lowest in the Big
Ten, according to each university’s Common
Data Set. All other Big Ten institutions have
a one-year retention rate greater than 90
percent, excluding Iowa at 87 percent.
“It’s a challenge for us,” Goodburn said.
“We’re a very different institution from some
of those other Big Ten peers.”
Goodburn said less challenging admission requirements are a reason why UNL’s
retention rate is relatively low. She also said
the university has a different mission than
other Big Ten schools because it is the only
land grant research institution in the state.
“It bothers me that our students aren’t
succeeding in the ways that we’d want them
to,” Goodburn said. “But I also understand
that we have [a] different demographic
population, and different academic preparation of our students. It’s not surprising to me,
but it’s always something that we’re trying to
work on.”
That effort has also proven to be an
uphill battle as the rate has declined in
recent years. The 2015 freshman class’ 82.2
retention rate was the lowest since 2003, a
1.8 point fall from 2013. Outside of that, the
retention rate has hovered between 80.8%
and 84.4% since 2001.
However, while the retention rate experienced a downturn recently, UNL’s enrollment has been increasing by an average of
388 students each fall since 2013, according to IRAD enrollment data. Goodburn
said the decrease in retention rate may
be because as UNL’s enrollment increases
towards the goal of 30,000 students by

“It’s a challenge for us. We’re a very different institution from some of those other
Big Ten peers.”
2020, the proportion of out-of-state students
and underrepresented minority students
increases.
“We already knew that those students
have lower retention rates,” Goodburn said.
“Out-of-state students have a lower retention
rate because sometimes they feel they can
get a similar experience in-state at a lower
cost.”
One freshman who did not return for his
fall semester is Rugger Holmes, who cited
poor academic performance and family problems as reasons for his departure. Instead of
continuing his bachelor’s degree in journalism, Holmes is now focusing on work and
pursuing a music career.
“I figured I would complete school
going in,” Holmes said. “I think definitely
that [family problems] played in to me not

doing well in school. But also, I’m just not
a school person. I’ve never been good at
school. I wasn’t motivated to get to class or
anything.”
Holmes said he is not surprised that 17.8
percent of students are not attending the
university a year after beginning.
“I think some people just aren’t as motivated to get an education,” Holmes said.
“I don’t think that getting a college degree
is the determining factor on whether or not
you’ll be successful in life, and I think other
people are starting to realize that.”
Holmes was a William H. Thompson
Scholar last semester, a scholarship based on
financial need. He said lower academic standards could cause the lower retention rates.
“I got into the university on practically a
full ride getting a 2.6 [GPA] in high school,”

Holmes said. “I think that the University of
Nebraska lets people in pretty easily, and
definitely gives them opportunities.”
Improving retention rates are part of
UNL’s enrollment goal of 30,000 students by
2020, according to a 2014 Lincoln Journal
Star article.
“We are making a major effort on retention, in part, because it is the right thing
to do -- to do everything we can to make
students successful -- and we would be
doing these things if our retention rate was
95 percent,” then-UNL Chancellor Harvey
Perlman said in the 2014 article.
As part of those retention efforts, UNL
now asks students to complete a survey
at New Student Enrolment. The survey
categorizes students in topics such as grit,
motivation, time management and academic
preparation.
This, along with the students’ GPA and
ACT scores, allows the university to target
students who need extra support and point
them towards relevant success programs
such as the writing center or study shops,
Goodburn said.
Many of the student success initiatives
were created in the last five years. The First
Year Experience Office, which offers free academic coaching and group workshops, was
founded in 2013. The Military and Veteran
Success Center opened in 2015. In addition,
new advising programs were developed,
including Compass, which helps undeclared
students choose a major and develop a plan.
While the programs haven’t improved the
retention rate, they have helped improve the
four-year graduation rate, Goodburn said.
According to IRAD, the four-year graduation
rate for first-year students in the fall of 2012
was 40.1 percent, a 7.1 point increase from
33 percent in the fall of 2009. The four-year
graduation rate has steadily increased from
18 percent in 1996.
The average graduation time is four-anda-half years, Goodburn said.
“I think that’s exciting,” Goodburn said.
“We’re seeing that students are using fouryear plans and getting the message that a
four-year graduation rate is possible for them
… So now, our goal is to just get more of our
students to graduate. We’re getting the ones
who are graduating, graduating faster. Now
we’re trying to retain more of them.”
news @ dailynebraskan . com

4 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017

NEWS

THE DAILY NEBRASKAN

Dunkin’ Donuts takes part in recycling campaign

courtesy photo
Sarah Wontorcik
DN Staff Writer
Every day, Dunkin’ Donuts manager Vernon Joseph and his team send anywhere from
80 to 100 pounds of coffee grounds to be
composted. Midway through the fall semester, the Dunkin’ Donuts in the Adele Coryell
Hall Learning Commons began participating
in efforts to reduce waste through composting pre-consumer waste.
On top of composting, Dunkin’ Donuts
also recycles any plastic jugs from flavorings
and milk. Since its opening, Dunkin’ Donuts
has also made it a point to keep the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln campus styrofoam-free
by using double-walled cups instead.

“We definitely want to do our part to
reduce waste on a worldwide effort and go
green,” Joseph said.
UNL food vendors composting pre-consumer waste is part of the Association of Students at the University of Nebraska’s initiative
toward making UNL a zero-waste campus.
Early in the fall semester, the Environmental
Sustainability Committee launched a project
to divert waste from the landfill and instead
send it to Big Red Worms, a composting company in Lincoln.
“From the few students that we’ve talked
to, students are like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s really
awesome. We need that.’ They really appreciate that UNL is going to a sustainability
mindset,” said Eric Garcia, Sustain UNL vice
president and member of the ESC Zero Waste

committee. “We throw away so much. The
landfill can only take so much.”
Joseph said composting has actually
made things easier for him at Dunkin’ Donuts
since there is less waste to handle.
“Everybody on the team is working to
[compost], and they understand the importance of participating in this green effort by
the university,” Joseph said. “Dunkin’ Donuts
has a brand geared toward [being environmentally conscious] nationwide, so we are
able to help them out at the store level with
that effort.”
Garcia said he believes students are becoming more aware of the environment and
the steps that can be taken to preserve it.
He attributes this awareness to UNL’s student
body becoming more diverse, open-minded

and environmentally conscious.
“The university needs to move in a direction where it’s more sustainable to appeal to
younger groups of students, who grew up in
an era that’s had a lot of focus on environmental issues and being environmentally conscious,” Garcia said.
Garcia also said he thinks the ESC is one
of the most active committees within ASUN as
a result of students placing a higher priority
on sustainability.
“ESC is a path to bring change on campus,” Garcia said. “[Recycling] is something
that students want to happen.”
news @ dailynebraskan . com

THE DAILY NEBRASKAN

NEWS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017 • 5

Student art on display at Lux Center
Jessica Larkins
DN STAFF WRITER
The designs of 18 University of NebraskaLincoln students are currently on display at
the Lux Center for the Arts in Lincoln. The exhibition, titled “Let There Be Light,” features
work from students who completed the studio
art foundation and drawing courses.
The exhibition was featured in a First Friday celebration on Jan. 6, but will also be on
display through Jan. 21. The Lux Center for
the Arts, previously known as the University
Place Art Center, is located at 2601 N. 48th
St. The Lux is free and open to the public.
Mikayla Zulkoski, a freshman art major,
said the exhibition needed a positive title
because many people are anxious about the
upcoming year.
“I would view [the exhibition] as kind of
giving off my own little bit of light and doing
what I can to make the world a better place,”
she said.
The exhibition features everything from
self-portraits to three-dimensional art. Students selected their best work for the exhibi-

alanna johnson|dn
tion. Because of this, there is no overarching
theme to the exhibition. That’s why the title
“Let There Be Light” was the perfect name,
Zulkoski said.
“Really, we just wanted an optimistic
name for the new year,” she said.
Participation in the exhibition was optional, but Zulkoski said the class was beneficial to
her as a student and a future artist. Students
had their work displayed in a professional
show, and they made personal websites. The

websites featured images from their work, a
biography and a curriculum vitae.
After putting in the work all semester,
Zulkoski said she was glad to have the chance
to show everyone what she had accomplished. She chose a 3-D needle-felted sculpture of a “beast” to display. Zulkoski said a lot
of her family came to see her work displayed
at the Lux.
“It was really inspiring,” she said. “It made
me want to make more work so I could show it

off again. I felt really proud of myself.”
Sandra Williams, associate professor of
art, was the instructor for the course.
She told Nebraska Today the inspiration
came from her efforts to continually pair reallife experience and academic objectives.
Williams said students participating in the
exhibition of their work is an important part
of their development both academically and
professionally. It’s also important for students
to start setting goals early, knowing they will
have the rest of their academic career to reach
those goals.
Zulkoski said Williams is a selfless professor who encourages students to do their best.
She also said Williams taught students how to
promote themselves as artists.
“I felt like she fit five hours of class in what
little time we had together,” Zulkoski said. “If
you do an art major, I would recommend Sandra’s course.”
NEWS @ DAILYNEBRASKAN . COM

FIND OUT WHO WON FOR EVERYTHING FROM

BEST BURGER TO
BEST PLACE FOR A DATE!
MONDAY, JANUARY 30!
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6 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017

NEWS

THE DAILY NEBRASKAN

UNL professor developing anti-ice concrete

courtesy photo
Mia Everding
dn staff writer

Christopher Tuan, a civil engineering professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, had
an innovative idea for a new type of concrete
in the early 1990s
“When I was working for the Air Force, it
was an important task to de-ice the runway,”
Tuan said.
To combat the hazard of icy runways, the
new concrete would consist of normal material, with steel fibers and shavings mixed in.
A separate power source then heats the steel
particles and prevents snow and ice accumulation.
Initially, Tuan said people in the concrete
business were skeptical, but he won over the
Federal Aviation Administration.
They especially took interest because of

how it could change winter flying. Airports
that are notoriously icy and hazardous could
use the concrete to heat tarmacs and stop
cancelling flights or closing airports, he said.
With the FAA’s funding, Tuan was able to
begin work on his project.
However, in the past, not much work had
been done to tackle such a large task as thawing entire airplane runways and tarmac. Experimentation with heating cables in pipelines
and other de-icing technologies had started,
but for the most part, those ideas had failed.
“Most academic people are limited,” Tuan
said.
In the past, people trying to start projects
such as Tuan’s did not have the resources necessary for completing such work.
By the time Tuan had started his project in
the mid 1990s, then-President Bill Clinton was
cutting the military budget, and Tuan never
got the chance to implement his work for the

runway. That was his reason for leaving the Air
Force.
“I proposed the project on concrete to
the Department of Roads, and began work
in ’96-’97,” Tuan said. In 2002, the Nebraska
Department of Roads granted Tuan a bridge
to begin his work on.
“I was able to implement collective concrete-heating pavement - with this actual
piece of architecture” Tuan said.
Since 2002, other professors have aided
Tuan in his work. Lim Nguyen, a professor of
electrical engineering, said in a phone interview that he has been involved for approximately 15 years.
“Tuan had been able to do initial work,
but he needed help with testing with electrical work with concrete,” Nguyen said.
He became a part of the team that worked
on the bridge in 2002, and after, he and Tuan
built an experimental concrete heating pad

outside the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha.
After the project’s successful debut, two of
them are looking forward to the second phase
of the project.
Phase two consists of building a largescale tarmac pad at the Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey. After the approval of the phase two proposal plan from
the FAA, and after their approval, the process
of building the tarmac can begin. However,
this second step will not necessarily include
Tuan. Instead, a construction contractor will
be hired. Phase two is expected to last at least
a couple of years.
If phase two proves successful, more
widespread implementation can take place.
“Norway has expressed interest, but we
need to prove it in the U.S. first,” Nguyen said.
news @ dailynebraskan . com

ARTS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017
DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

Chef Karim’s Mediterranean Grill reopens

Grace Bradford
dn staff writer

For 30 years, Chef Abdel Karim Chhibbane
has traveled the world.
His culinary career began in Marrakech,
Morocco where he helped his parents with
their restaurant. To continue on with his
interest in culinary arts, Chhibbane moved to
Lyons, France. For four years, he cooked and
learned from some of the greatest chefs in
the world.
While still working in France, he planned
a trip to see some friends in California. During his visit, Chhibbane made the decision
that California was where he would move to
next.
“I fell in love with the United States and
the people,” Chhibbane said.
His move to California gave him the opportunity to work as an executive chef and
cook in kitchens all over the state, including his own when he opened a Moroccan
restaurant in Santa Barbara. Chhibbane ran

this restaurant for 18 years, until he made his
next move to Lincoln. He said after a prior
visit to Lincoln, he decided to move because
of how much he enjoyed the people.
“People in Lincoln are the sweetest
people,” Chhibbane said.
By moving to Lincoln, Chhibbane also
brought his Mediterranean cuisine along with
him. For three years, Chhibbane focused
on remodeling a building that would later
become his Mediterranean restaurant, Chef
Karim’s Mediterranean Grill. His years of traveling around the world to cook are reflected
in the menu, which consists of Mediterranean
food with other cuisine influences, including
French and Moroccan. Though Chhibbane
will be the first to say that he doesn’t have a
favorite item to cook on his menu.
“You have to be in love with every dish,”
Chhibbane said.
However, Chhibbane said the restaurant
business remains difficult, no matter where
he is. He said that the restaurant business is

Chef Karim’s Mediterranean Grill opened in
May 2016, bringing Mediterranean cuisine to
Lincoln.
After a management hiccup that forced
them to close suddenly, the restaurant is back
in the swing of things. Located at 333 North
Cotner Blvd., the restaurant is open only for
dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and for
brunch on Sunday.
Having just gotten back into the dreadful
groove of school, I ordered a coffee with my
dinner. I don’t know who supplies their coffee, but I took a sip and immediately said
out loud: “This is excellent coffee.” It wasn’t
bitter and had an almost sweet flavor to it.
Next time I go, I will be sure to ask where they
source it from.
I ordered the cream and zesty mussels
off of the appetizer menu, and I fell in love.
The mussels can be served either “cream and

zesty” or “wine and garlic” and the waitress
highly recommended the former. The sauce
was in fact creamy and zesty. It almost tasted
like an alfredo sauce but was somewhat peppery. All of the mussels were steamed perfectly.
The most exciting part of eating the mussels was pulling the mussel out of the shell.
I had to hold the mussel in my hand while
I pried the little sea creature from it with a
fork. My hands got very messy because of the
sauce and instead of doing the polite thing
and wiping my hands on my napkin, I found
myself licking my fingers clean.
A basket of six or seven slices of garlic
bread came out with the mussels and I ate every last one of them, dipping them in the left
over sauce. It was pure bliss.
After being tempted with the dessert
menu, I selected a slice of chocolate cake to
finish the even with. I expected the slice to be

DAVENPORT: PAGE 9

margaret davenport | dn

8 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017

ARTS

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Lincoln band aspires to promote, grow in new year
Sam Crisler
dn staff writer

Skyler Roland says 2017 is going to be the
year of Leighton.
Roland fronts the Lincoln hard rock band
Leighton, which he founded nearly six years
ago while he was still in high school at Lincoln
Northeast. Since then, the band has experienced a series of lineup changes, including
the departure of founding drummer Ryan
Northup.
But within the last few years, they’ve
settled into a four-piece made up of Roland
and three University of Nebraska-Lincoln students: bassist Dane Christiansen, lead guitarist Garrett Helling and drummer Cole Christiansen.
Leighton’s next show is on Thursday, Jan.
12 at Duffy’s Tavern with Left of Reason and
Faded Black.
The members have developed a musical
style that is primarily hard rock but pulls influences from artists across an array of genres.
Helling said he takes inspiration from ’80s
metal bands like Van Halen and Mötley Crüe,
while Dane Christiansen said he tries to inject at least some sort of country bass stylings
into each Leighton song.
Roland said he listens to rap and pop artists, like The 1975, far more than he listens to
rock. But Leighton’s myriad of influences and
musical tastes find a middle ground in hard
rock songs propelled by down-tuned guitars
and impassioned vocals, all while still retaining a pop sensibility.
In the time since its formation, Leighton
has made a name for itself in the Lincoln music scene by playing countless shows around
town and by sharing the stage with big-name
touring bands like Saving Abel and Wayland,
which Roland said were meaningful experiences.
“It’s so humbling because you don’t realize how small you are until you see these big
bands and their fans and how dedicated they
are,” Roland said. “It really motivates us to
work harder.”
And they have been working harder. Roland said while Leighton added to their fan
base after those big shows, they always had
to tell those fans that they didn’t have any
music released that they were proud of.
But in November, the band hit the studio
with producer Chris Steffen to record their
first EP, which they plan to release sometime
this winter.
Steffen said he’s proud of how the EP has
turned out, describing the record as incorporating big drums, thumping bass and loud
guitars into “good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.”
Dane Christiansen said the music on
Leighton’s EP shows a significant maturation

courtesy photo
for the band compared to the songs they had
written earlier on in the band’s history.
He said while their older material followed
the typical verse-chorus-verse structure, the
music on the EP often includes as many as
five or six different sections in one song. And
he said Leighton’s collaborative songwriting
process is important in the progression of the
band’s sound.
“We’re always bouncing ideas off of each
other when we write,” he said. “Every single
thing we write is a group effort.”
Dustin Hunke, who booked Leighton’s
shows with Saving Abel and Wayland, as well
as numerous others, said he’s seen a positive
evolution of the band since he first saw them
live.
“They have continued to become a tighter, and heavier, band since then,” Hunke said.
“The dudes have continued to impress me
with their progress every time I’ve seen them
play.”
And while their songwriting grows more
complex, many of the songs the band writes
stem from Roland’s infatuation with pop music. In the majority of Leighton’s songs melody

seeps its way through the distorted guitars
and crushing drums and culminates in emphatic hooks.
Roland said he realizes that pop songs are
what are most successful and that elements
of pop should be incorporated into his own
music.
“I think somewhere in my subconscious, I
just kinda pull that out and I’m like, ‘I need to
do something like this,’” he said. “That way
people are gonna like it, and they’re gonna
want to listen to it.”
The band agrees that while their ultimate
goal is to make it big, their reasoning for it
isn’t for the money, but simply to reach as
many listeners as possible.
“We want as many people’s ears to hear
us as we can get,” Roland said. “And I think
that’s way more important than money would
ever be.”
And Steffen said he thinks Leighton indeed has the potential to build a vast fan
base.
“I think these guys have the talent and
drive to get out there and be heard on a world
stage,” Steffen said. “It’s not necessarily an

easy thing to pull off these days, but I think
they can definitely do it.”
In order for them to be able to attract a
wider audience, Christiansen said they’re taking steps to treat Leighton like a brand or a
business by giving each member promotional
tasks, like social media and handling merch,
and holding each other accountable to those
tasks.
“We’re developing roles for ourselves in
the band aside from being musicians,” Roland
said. “That’s why I think we’re gonna make
2017 the year for Leighton. It’s gonna be a
busy year for us.”
Roland said he even hopes Leighton will
be able to go on their first tour this summer
to spread their music to as many people as
possible. Along with their branding efforts
and the release of their new EP, Roland said
he thinks the timing is right for Leighton’s
breakout.
“We can actually start growing a fanbase,”
Roland said. “It’s gonna be nice, man. I’m so
excited for it.”
arts @ dailynebraskan . com

ARTS

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KARIM: FROM PAGE 7

one of the riskiest but best businesses to be
in.
“You get to make people happy,”
Chhibbane said. “The people you serve also
become your friends.”
When Chhibbane opened up Chef
Karim’s Meditteranean Grill last May, he said
one of the main difficulties he faced was
making sure he found the right staff to work
alongside with.
“It’s hard to find people who have the
desire to learn and who have the passion,”
Chhibbane said.
General manager, Lewis Whitemagpie,
describes the current staff as being one big
family.
“I have never met someone so passionate about the thing he does,” Whitemagpie
said.
As the business at Chef Karim’s Meditteranean Grill continues to increase,

Whitemagpie sees the restaurant having a
bright future.
“I would like to expand the restaurant,
open up more locations and make it the
most popular Mediterranean restaurant in
Lincoln.”
As his restaurant picks up business
and becomes more successful, Chhibbane
continues to look at the word success with a
different meaning.
“Being successful means getting people’s
respect,” Chhibbane said.
The chef doesn’t look back on taking a
chance on Lincoln. Even Nebraska’s frigid
weather doesn’t dim his spirits.
“The weather doesn’t matter,” Chhibbane said. What matters more, he said,
is whether or not he is happy. “I’m happy
where I am.”
ARTS @ DAILYNEBRASKAN . COM

DAVENPORT: FROM PAGE 7
thin, but what came out looked to be about
a fourth of a cake. It was huge and drizzled
in a berry sauce with slices of strawberry and
shavings of chocolate. When I couldn’t finish
it, the to-go box could not close due to the
sheer largeness of it.
The entrees for the dinner menu are a
bit pricy for the average college kid, ranging
from $16 for the vegan platter to $27 for the
french rack of lamb. Salads, soups and appetizers are also available. Each dessert was $6
a piece, and if every dessert is as large as the
chocolate cake was, I’m sure they are all worth
the money.
Chef Karim’s Mediterranean Grill is the
most beautiful restaurant in Lincoln. No other
can even compare. The combination of the
colorful tiled floors, the white table clothes
and the marble countertops in the restroom
make you feel as though you are having a
quick luncheon at the Plaza Hotel in New York
City.
The wait staff was fantastic. When the
hostess saw me approaching the front door,
she rushed out to open it for me, something

I’ve never had happen at any restaurant I’ve
ever visited. The waitress did not hover, and
when I asked where the restroom was, she actually led me to it.
The best part of the evening was having
Chef Abdel Karim Chhibbane come out and
make sure the meal was to my liking.
He approached every table, charming as
can be, and made sure everyone was happy
ending every conversation saying that if anything else was needed, to simply ask and he
would prepare it straight away.
It was pure class.
If you want to impress a date on every level, take them to Chef Karim’s Mediterranean
Grill. It will blow away not only your date but
also you. Don’t let the high prices scare you,
because any other restaurant in the country
with this much poise and sophistication would
have its entrees at $50 a plate. You need to
go.
5/5 Stars
ARTS @ DAILYNEBRASKAN . COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017 • 9

10 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017

ARTS

THE DAILY NEBRASKAN

Keeleigh Thayn makes gap year worthwhile
Joe John
dn staff writer

Freshman international business major
Keeleigh Thayn spent a gap year before college living and exploring Istanbul, Turkey with
the Rotary Youth Exchange program.
Through John Baylor’s local ACT prep program , Thayn was recommended to the rotarian in charge of exchanges with the program.
“Keeleigh seemed to have the ambition
and self confidence that lends itself to great
success with a gap year,” Baylor said. “So
anyone who exhibits that kind of poise is
someone I particularly suggest would take a
gap year.”
After a lengthy application and interview process, the rotary decided to sponsor
Thayn’s exchange.
The Rotary International Exchange program is an exchange program for students
in secondary school. The Rotary website describes the exchange program as a chance for
students to “learn a new language, discover
another culture, and truly become a global
citizen.”
Baylor said he is a firm believer that a gap
year can provide new experiences and accelerate self-awareness.
“During a gap year abroad, someone can
indulge in learning a musical instrument, playing sports, learning a foreign language or any
other passion,” Baylor said. “That can really
help a young person discover what she truly
cares about and what she truly does not care
about.”
In high school, Thayn spent five years
studying French, so she had high hopes of going somewhere in Europe for her exchange.
Thayn’s top four choices for host countries
were France, Belgium, Switzerland and Brazil.
“The rotarian in charge clearly had other
plans for me,” Thayn said. “He thought the
starkly different culture of Turkey would provide me with the greatest learning opportunity given my age and interests; a year and a
half later I fully approve of this decision.”
The exchange process began for Thayn
when she was 17 years old and overwhelmed
with emotions.
“I was excited to do something different from my peers and go outside my comfort zone,” Thayn said. “However, going to a
country you know absolutely nothing about
would scare anyone.”
In her time abroad, Thayn said she met
her “friends for life,” but also got the chance
to embrace an entirely different culture.
“I lived with a host family whom I love

austin coudriet | dn

“I was excited to do something different from my peers and go outside my comfort zone.”
dearly, and I got to learn so much about another culture,” Thayn said. “From a new language to learning to love new food.”
Thayn said she grew so close with her host
family that they began telling people she was
their actual daughter.
“I continue to talk to them every day and
miss them more than anything,” Thayn said.
“For the first time in my life, I got to have a
little sister, and she made every day of my exchange so bright.”
One of the hardest parts of the trip for
Thayn was learning to become comfortable
with feeling uncomfortable.

“On the first day, I maneuvered four international airports on my own and got into
a car with random strangers, who are now my
family,” Thayn said.
Thayn said one of the hardest things for
her to get used to was the language change.
“Although the language only seemed like
a small piece of this giant puzzle, it made the
beginning really tough,” Thayn said. “When I
met my little sister the first day we communicated purely with Google translate and drawing pictures.”
Thayn said one of the most memorable
moments of her trip was climbing on to a roof

where a scene from “Taken 2” was filmed and
taking in the view.
“For hours on end we sang and played
ukulele and looked over all of Istanbul’s many
treasures,” Thayn said.
Thayn said her trip was much more than
that; it was like a second life.
“There’s a quote that floats around exchange students that states, ‘It’s not a year in
my life, it’s an entire life in a year,’ and that
couldn’t be any truer.”
ARTS@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

OPINION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017
DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

LARSEN: Infrastructure plan a road to nowhere

Ben Larsen
dn staff columnist

When I think of the height of government
ineptitude, I think of Alaska’s “road to no-

where.” The three mile stretch of road in a
sparsely populated stretch of the Last Frontier, which was paid for by $223 million from
the federal government , stands as a paved
monument to the absurd ways politicians can
take your money and put it towards meaningless projects in the name of building America’s infrastructure.
Regrettably, it seems that the next president’s bold plan for infrastructure is in the
vein of such absurdity. Our elected representatives should reject such a rash proposal, especially Sen. Fischer, a member of
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation. Steering clear of what looks to
be a flaming pile of fiscal wreckage would be
a wise move on behalf of Nebraska’s citizens.
There have been few details on the Pres-

ident-Elect’s infrastructure package as of yet.
During his victory speech, the new chief executive mentioned that he was concocting a
“trillion dollar infrastructure plan.” His campaign website notes this, while also mentioning that the package will somehow be deficitneutral.
So far only Steve Bannon, the former head
of Breitbart and the next White House chief
strategist, has described such a plan in even
the most rudimentary of ways, although his
statements are just as scant on details as his
boss’s. In an interview with the Hollywood
Reporter, Bannon said simply “we’re going
to throw it up against the wall and see if it
sticks.” There’s a great word to describe Bannon’s idea: reckless. The Oval Office isn’t the
place to craft grand schemes which have no

plausible pathway to success, done only in
the name of “seeing what sticks.” Conservatives once argued that policies should only be
adopted when they have a record of success,
and remembered that ultimately it’s the humble taxpayer who’s stuck with the bill when
Washington screws up. Some still cling to this
philosophy, but are increasingly adrift in a rising nationwide wave of heedless Bannonism.
As America goes down Trump’s infrastructure rabbit hole, it’s important to establish
what may seem to be a surprising point: our
nation’s roads and bridges aren’t in nearly
as bad of shape as politicians claim. In fact,
the quality of our infrastructure is no different than the other G7 countries. Despite the

LARSEN: PAGE 14

COBB: UNL pet policy should be more leniant

Rhainnon Cobb
dn staff columnist

Pets have always been an important part of
our lives and many of us have grown up surrounded by them. Whether they were small or
large we have all found some pet to love and
care for. In the transition from one stage of life
to the next it is nice to have something that
can bring familiarity and comfort. Often this
can be an animal. However, most college students will find that if they head to their dorm
with their lifelong friend by their side they will
probably be stopped at the door.
Dorm pet policies have been criticized
across multiple campuses and are often so

strict that they don’t allow for negotiation.
For most people, college is a time of responsibility and finding your passion. We would
expect that having an animal is something
most college students can handle, so why
don’t universities allow them? Often it is easiest for the college to play it off as something
to avoid high risk situations and prevent allergy complications that may affect other students, however there are dozens of campuses
that actually allow pets.
For instance MIT allows animals in some
of their dorm rooms, allowing cats to roam
the hallways and even go into their neighbor’s room providing the floor agrees to it.
Fellow Big Ten member University of Illinois
allows students in certain apartment style
housing to request permission to have two
companion pets.
If more campuses begin to allow pets on
campus, it might make other campus reconsider their policies regarding pets.
Animals improve the health of their owners as well as teach responsibility and time
management . Many colleges have puppy
therapy rooms during finals week, others
bring in dogs to help sooth students during
stressful weeks on campus. UNL even does
this for finals, but what happens if we were to
allow animals on campus year-round?

The UNL Housing policy on animals currently states “Non-dangerous fish which live
completely underwater are the only pets permitted in the halls. No cats, dogs, gerbils,
snakes, birds, crabs, turtles, frogs, spiders,
etc; only fish are allowed. Aquariums may be
no larger than 25 gallons. Aquarium gravel
must not be disposed in toilets or drains.”
While the policy does allow for fish, there is a
major difference between the affect of a fish
and that of an animal that can actually interact
with you.
The University has some arguments as to
why they don’t allow animals such as “Pets
can pose a threat to the health and safety”
to the community. Individuals with disabilities
are at particular risk. For instance, dogs running freely pose a particular hazard to individuals using service animals. Pets on campus
can also be destructive, causing damage to
grounds, buildings, and property.” . However
many of these potential harms can be avoided with careful consideration.
Some steps that the university could take
include registering animals that come on to
campus or setting rules on what happens with
animals that are brought to campus. By having specific dorms designated for animals we
can lower the chance of allergies and avoid
any major health risk.

The UNL animal policies have been too
strict for too long, and there are far more benefits to having pets than the potential complications of allowing them. Campuses across
the nation have been testing the use of animals in dorms and determining how to make
them effective and welcoming for everyone. It
is time that UNL steps up and joins the campuses who are adopting the open pet policy.
College is a time in our lives where we are
expected to take responsibility and show that
we can manage and assert our time as needed, so why take away our chance of having a
pet? It is time that as a campus we become
more aware of the policies and change the
ones that need changing.
If you want to help in welcoming animals on our campus write letters to the office of administration or talk with friends. Get
groups together to talk to administrators and
residence leaders about the positive impact
a more pet friendly campus can have on the
community.
RHIANNON COBB IS A FRESHMAN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GLOBAL STUDIES MAJOR. REACH HER
AT OPINION@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM OR VIA @
DNOPINION

SPORTS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017
DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

Open quarterback competition awaits Huskers
Brett Nierengarten

dn senior sports editor

Editor’s note: College football never stops
and with that in mind, the Daily Nebraskan
sports staff decided to take an early look at
each position group heading into the 2017
season.

“O’Brien completed
75 percent of his
throws as a senior...”
For the first time in a long time, Nebraska’s quarterback is uncertain heading into
spring practice. For three full seasons, it was a
forgone conclusion Tommy Armstrong would
be the starter. Prior to Armstrong, Taylor Martinez started for three full seasons before an
injury in his senior season paved the way for
Armstrong, then a redshirt freshman, to start
the final eight games of the season.
However, Armstrong and his long-time
backup, Nebraska native Ryker Fyfe, have
both graduated, which means the two-deep
at quarterback is in for a makeover.

Tanner Lee, junior
Lee comes to Nebraska with two seasons
of eligibility remaining after transferring from
Tulane, where he started for two seasons.
Coming to Tulane, Lee was widely regarded
as one of the top quarterback prospects in
program history.
However, Lee never quite lived up to
expectations. He was serviceable in his two
years as Tulane’s signal caller but did nothing
overwhelmingly impressive. He threw for a total of 3,601 yards to go along with 23 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
Now, after a year working on NU’s scout
team, Lee appears to have a good chance to
take the starting position vacated by Armstrong. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Lee is the
ideal size for a pro-style quarterback and has
the arm strength to make big time throws at
the Division I level. Both head coach Mike
Riley and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf were impressed with Lee in practice
throughout the season.

file photo | dn
Patrick O’Brien, redshirt freshman
The clear challenger to Lee is O’Brien,
a highly touted recruit from Southern California. O’Brien completed 75 percent of his
throws as a senior and completed 32 passing
touchdowns.
Like Lee, O’Brien has great size as quarterback. He is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and
was a top-10 ranked quarterback in the Class
of 2015 by Rivals and 247Sports.
In his only action at Nebraska, O’Brien was
6-of-10 for 59 yards and threw an interception in the 2016 Red-White game. O’Brien

redshirted this season, but suited up as the
team’s emergency quarterback last season.
Now, he has an opportunity to go from emergency quarterback to starter.

Tristan Gebbia, freshman
Like O’Brien, Gebbia had one of the
greatest high school careers in the history of
California. As a three-year starter, the Calabasas quarterback threw for 13,109 yards and
141 touchdown passes.
Gebbia never threw for less than 3,300
yards and 35 touchdowns in a season, with

the best season of his career being his most
recent. As a senior, Gebbia completed 70
percent of his passes to go along with 5,338
yards and 61 touchdown passes.
At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Gebbia will need
to bulk up before he can be a productive Division I starter, so it seems more likely that he’ll
redshirt than be No. 1 on the depth chart in
the fall.
sports @ dailynebraskan . com

SPORTS

THE DAILY NEBRASKAN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017 • 13

Seniorless backfield leaves big shoes to fill
Mikale Wilbon, junior

Grace Harmon

The sophomore from Chicago, Illinois,
could be another prospect to see more playing time in the upcoming season.
He saw some playing time in both the
2015 and 2016 seasons. Wilbon’s 2016 season ended with 89 rushing yards with his longest carry being 32 yards.
The Chicago native’s best game came in
his hometown during Nebraska’s 24-13 victory against Northwestern in October when
he rushed for 55 yards on six carries.

dn staff writer

Editor’s note: College football never stops
and with that in mind, the Daily Nebraskan
sports staff decided to take an early look at
each position group heading into the 2017
season.
After Nebraska’s 38-24 loss to Tennessee
in the Music City Bowl, spectators and fans
are trying to discern if the Husker’s offense
is strong enough to continue to pursue a
ground game. With the team’s go-to running
back Terrell Newby graduating this spring, it’s
up to others to step up to fill his spot.

Jaylin Bradley, freshman
A recent recruit out of Bellevue, Nebraska,
Bradley could also be a player to watch. The
Bellevue West High School senior made a verbal commitment to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in early January.
The senior led his team to a Nebraska
Class A State Championship title in late 2016.
During his senior year alone, the standout
running back had a total of 324 carries totaling 2,915 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Bradley joins Nebraska’s 2017 recruiting
class as the fifteenth commit as well as being
the only running back in the class.

Devine Ozigbo, junior
A sophomore from Sachse, Texas. Ozigbo
is a versatile running back standing at 5-foot11 and weighing 230 pounds.
In 2016, Ozigbo came out of the gate
strong rushing for 103 yards in the Husker’s
win against Fresno State. After Nebraska’s
62-3 loss to Ohio State, Ozigbo didn’t see
much playing time due to an ankle injury.
However, in the bowl game against Tennessee, he took the field again and rushed for 66
yards averaging 9.4 yards per carry.
Ozigbo ended the season with 412 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards for five
touchdowns. In the 2017 season, Ozigbo is
expected to be a key component of the Husker offense.

file photo | dn
Tre Bryant, sophomore
The true freshman running back out of
St. Louis, Missouri, rushed for 172 yards during the 2016 season, with 97 of those yards
during the Huskers’ last two regular season
games against Maryland and Iowa.

At the conclusion of the season, Bryant received the 2016 Newcomer of the Year award.
There was discussion during the preseason
whether Bryant would redshirt or not. He didn’t
but made a solid impact and gained valuable
experience on both offense and special teams.

sports @ dailynebraskan . com

NU offensive line hopes to establish consistency
Riley Bowden

dn assistant sports editor

Editor’s note: College football never stops
and with that in mind, the Daily Nebraskan
sports staff decided to take an early look at
each position group heading into the 2017
season.
It was an up-and-down season for the Nebraska offensive line in 2016. It was a young
group. It was a beat up group. And ultimately,
the offensive line was a group that showed
flashes, but left much to be desired.
In the Music City Bowl, Tennessee tallied
four sacks against the Huskers, and Nebraska was only able to muster 61 yards on the
ground. The line will no doubt be looking to
regroup in 2017 and will be protecting a new
signal-caller and bell cow back.

Nick Gates, junior

Gates is the most talented player on the
offensive line, and probably will be again in
2017. However, he had just as tough of a day
against Tennessee as any other Husker offensive lineman. He had the toughest assignment
in defensive end Derek Barnett. Barnett, the
future first-round pick, had his way against the
Huskers, and you would be hard-pressed to
find a drop back that he didn’t affect in some
way in the first half.
Gates will be looking to bounce back
strong this spring heading into the 2017 regular season. He had a huge impact on the line
in his sophomore season, and no one should
expect anything less in his junior campaign.

Jerald Foster, junior

Foster had potential going into the 2016
season, but he was sidelined for the majority
of it after suffering a knee injury in fall camp.
Despite originally thinking he would miss the

entire season, he was able to play a handful of
snaps late in the season.
Foster will be a junior in 2017, and will
no doubt be eager to make a bigger impact
than he was able to in 2016. He was charted
as a left guard in 2016, but if next season is
anything like this season, there will be some
shifting in position for this group of linemen.

Michael Decker, sophomore

Decker, an Omaha native and Omaha
North graduate, was second on the depth
chart at center to Dylan Utter for the Music
City Bowl. Utter moved to center from guard
last spring as the Husker offensive line was
shaken up due to injury and departures. With
Utter graduating, Decker will be a candidate
to replace him.
Center is the only offensive line position
that loses a starter in 2017, and Decker will
have a big opportunity to step in. He will
compete with redshirt freshman John Raridon
among others for the starting center spot.

file photo | dn
Tanner Farmer, junior

Farmer stepped in at right guard as a
sophomore in 2016 and gained experience
that will be valuable to this group next season. Expect Farmer to make a big jump from

SEE OFFENSIVE LINE: PAGE 14

14 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017

SPORTS

THE DAILY NEBRASKAN

LARSEN: FROM PAGE 11

“Canada is superior to the US” trope, our
transportation framework is rated as more
structurally sound than that of our hockeyobsessed neighbor to the north. (p. 257)
Now, it would be a misstep for Americans
to take comfort in our ranking. After all, the
quality of most developed nations’ infrastructure is still mediocre. However, having some
context can prevent us from taking rash measures out of desperation, as Trump seemingly
wants to do.
It’s also difficult, if not impossible, to comprehend how the president-elect’s proposal
wouldn’t blow a hole in the deficit. The idea
behind the plan is for the losses incurred
from providing a tax credit to the tune of
$137 billion to private investors to be made
up through profits for the investors and revenue for the government by getting construction workers off the sidelines and back into
the workforce. Here again the Trump plan
conflicts with reality. The scheme rests on the
assumption of there being a dearth of construction jobs, when really the sector’s unemployment rate is 5.3%, only slightly higher
than the country’s overall rate of 4.7%. In
Trumpworld there may be enough income tax
receipts to pay off his highway bill, but back
on Planet Earth the motion would be sure to
put America even deeper in the red.
Instead of drafting their current concep-

tion into a bill, the Trump Administration
should instead consider other, more effective policies. First on the docket would be a
repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act, which would
eliminate the artificial inflation of construction
wages, returning them to reasonable market
levels and saving the federal government $13
billion. (p. 115) The retained money could
provide funding for infrastructure projects
that investors can’t turn a profit on, such as
waterpipes, or could be returned to state and
local governments in the form of grants. The
new administration should furthermore be unambiguous in defining the limits of the federal
government’s role in infrastructure policy.
It may be too much to ask for a seventy
year old, but I sincerely hope Trump changes his mind. Pursuing infrastructure policies
which crack down on pork-barrel spending
while also looking beyond private-public
partnerships would be better for both his
presidency and the country than a type of
Bannon-fueled New Deal. Until then though,
Trump’s plans are both a road to nowhere and
a bridge too far.
BEN LARSEN IS A SOPHOMORE POLITICAL SCIENCE
MAJOR. REACH HIM AT OPINION@DAILYNEBRASKAN.
COM OR VIA @DNOPINION.

OFFENSIVE LINE: FROM PAGE 13
the 2016 season to the 2017 season. He was
a highly-rated lineman coming out of high
school, and with nearly a full season’s work
under his belt, he could be a key piece on the
right side of the Nebraska line.

Cole Conrad, junior,
and David Knevel, senior

Conrad and Knevel both tallied a good
amount of time at right tackle this season, and
both will be returning for the Huskers in 2017.
Conrad will be a junior in 2017 and Knevel a
senior. Knevel missed some time late in the
season, and Conrad played solid snaps in his
absence down the stretch.
Conrad is a walk-on from Fremont, Nebraska, and made the start of his career

against Ohio State this season. Both Conrad
and Knevel will provide solid depth to the
right side of the line in 2017.

Notable Freshmen

John Raridon, Boe Wilson and Matt
Farniok all maintained redshirt in the 2016
season and will no doubt add depth to this
Nebraska offensive line. If you factor in Jalin
Barnett, who will be a redshirt sophomore in
2017, the Huskers will have a lot of new faces
eager for playing time on the line.
Raridon, Wilson and Farniok, were all solid
recruits coming out of high school and had
positive redshirt seasons.
SPORTS @ DAILYNEBRASKAN . COM

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